After enduring an emotional couple of days, the Colorado Avalanche appear
poised to make a run at first place in the Western Conference.

Colorado looks to complete a perfect three-game road trip when its faces the
Phoenix Coyotes for the first time in four months.

In their first game since teammate Steve Moore was involved in one of the
league's ugliest on-ice incidents, the Avalanche recorded a 3-2 overtime
victory at Edmonton on Wednesday.

Vancouver's Todd Bertuzzi slugged Moore in the side of the head late in
Monday's 9-2 Avalanche victory. He hit Moore from behind and drove his head
into the ice. Moore landed face-first - with the 245-pound Bertuzzi on top of
him - and lay in a pool of blood for several minutes before he was removed on a
stretcher.

Moore is out for the season with a broken neck. He also sustained a
concussion and deep cuts on his face, and remained hospitalized in Vancouver.
Bertuzzi was suspended for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs by
the NHL as a result of his actions.

Colorado defenseman Adam Foote scored a power-play goal 2:37 into overtime
Wednesday. He admitted the Avs had Moore on their minds.

"I said it before, naturally, you want to win the game for him, but again,
it's just a game," Foote said. "You're going to want to get energy off that.
We've got a job to do, we want to play hockey. You've got to be professional
about it, but yet when the game's over, we're concerned, definitely, about how
he is."

Avalanche players were encouraged after visiting and talking with Moore in
the hospital before Wednesday's game. Winger Paul Kariya said his teammate was
alert and mobile.

Wednesday's win marked the Avalanche debuts of forwards Matthew Barnaby and
Chris Gratton and defenseman Ossi Vaananen - all acquired at Tuesday's trade
deadline. With three new players in the lineup, star forward Teemu Selanne, who
has no points in 12 games, was a healthy scratch.

The victory moved Colorado four points ahead of Vancouver in the Northwest
Division and closer to Western Conference-leading Detroit.

Avalanche captain Joe Sakic has pulled within one point of the NHL scoring
lead with 80 points. He has eight goals and 10 assists in his last 10 games.

The Coyotes continued to limp to the end of a disappointing season, dropping
to 0-6-2-2 in their last 10 with a 3-1 loss to Los Angeles on Wednesday.